I cannot recall ever coming across any moron anywhere in the whole wide world spewing such idiotic drivel.
He is a veritable world-class cretin on two counts. Firstly, for holding a patently false belief (which any fifteen-year-old can refute convincingly). Secondly, for proudly showing the world his stupid belief, unaware of the inevitable backlash.
He must surely typify the vulgar and ugly greed and materialism of the PAP value system, since every aspect of his intellect, ability, beliefs, personality, and integrity, we are told, has been rigorously examined and approved by the PAP before his selection as a PAP candidate.
***********************
Postscipt
Dr Lim has withdrawn his remark and apologized. I therefore expect that he will no longer conduct his duty as a MP based on the value system of equating the dignity and worth of a person with his/her wealth and income.
If I am justified in my expectation, I will accept his apology.
Thank you, Dr Lim.
***********************************
Clarification, apology and withdrawal of my quote.
by Lim Wee Kiak on Friday, 27 May 2011 at 16:12 (source)
Minister's pay is a sensitive issue and is one that many are concerned about. I would like to clarify my comments made to Lianhe Zaobao and also reproduced in LianheWanBao
I made three fundamental points.
1. We need a balanced approach to the question of Ministerial pay.
2. Personally, I think we should not use pay and perks to attract capable people to come forward to serve. I agree with PM that there is a service to country element and an element of sacrifice expected for the Ministers by the public.
3. On the other hand, we need to take into consideration their responsibilities and job scope when we remunerate Ministers.
On further reflection, I agree that the example I quoted regarding a MICA minister meeting the heads of telcos and saying that there may be some loss of face if the minister's salary is low is inappropriate and incorrect. I withdraw those remarks and apologise for making them. Dignity cannot be and must not be measured purely in monetary terms.
*********************************************************
I made three fundamental points.
1. We need a balanced approach to the question of Ministerial pay.
2. Personally, I think we should not use pay and perks to attract capable people to come forward to serve. I agree with PM that there is a service to country element and an element of sacrifice expected for the Ministers by the public.
3. On the other hand, we need to take into consideration their responsibilities and job scope when we remunerate Ministers.
On further reflection, I agree that the example I quoted regarding a MICA minister meeting the heads of telcos and saying that there may be some loss of face if the minister's salary is low is inappropriate and incorrect. I withdraw those remarks and apologise for making them. Dignity cannot be and must not be measured purely in monetary terms.
*********************************************************
Lim Wee KiakDr (Medical Doctor) Lim Wee Kiak slammed by netizens for snobbish remarks
Temasek Reviews Emeritus
May 25, 2011 (source)
PAP MP for Nee Soon GRC Dr Lim Wee Kiak (林伟杰, bio1, bio2) has been slammed by netizens for making a snobbish remark to the media yesterday in defence of the PAP ministers’ multi-million dollar salary.
While most PAP MPs have jumped onto the bandwagon and put up a ‘wayang’ to support a review of the ministerial salaries, Dr Lim Wee Kiak appeared to think otherwise.
In an interview with a Chinese tabloid on the matter, Dr Lim said callously:
“If the annual salary of the Minister of Information, Communication and Arts is only $500,000, it may pose some problems when he discuss policies with media CEOs who earn millions of dollars because they need not listen to the minister’s ideas and proposals, hence a reasonable payout will help to maintain a bit of dignity.”
(Original comment in Chinese: ：“如果新闻、通讯及艺术部长年薪只有50万，当他和身价数百万的电讯公司总裁开会商讨政策问题时，可能面对一些困难。因为总裁们可能认为没有必要听取部长的意见与建议，因此合理的薪酬将有助于维持一点尊严。”)
His comments sparked a massive outcry on TR’s Facebook if many netizens lampooning him for his ’shallowness’.
Eric Lim retorted immediately:
“So how does the president of united states of America maintain his dignity when talking to our ministers?”
Peter Koh added:
“Sorry, what kind of (expletive) logic is this. Cash is king concept ? This guy needs to get his brains checked.”
Mollie Sim was mortified:
“What utter rubbish!! What’s next? We need the police more than what a drug trafficker makes so that they feel more authorized to arrest them?”
Roger Wong was obviously disgusted:
“I don’t expect such crap to come from a doctor. So pay ministers stratospheric salaries so that they can lord it over all with dignity ? How many Singaporeans must be feeling indignified now?”
PAP de facto leader Lee Kuan Yew once remarked famously that a good prime minister must be able to ‘coordinate’ well:
“To be the Prime Minister, you don’t have to know every instrument, but you got to recognise, ah, he’s a good violinist, he’ll be the first violinist, he’ll be the double bass. Then you coordinate them and then you have great music. And if you already have a great orchestra, you can put A DUMMY there and you still got great music…”
Dr Lim is now ‘out of sync’ with the rest of the PAP ‘orchestra’ with Lee relinquishing his ministerial portfolio and will probably get a gentle reminder soon to toe the ‘official’ line which is – “ministerial salaries should be reviewed and cut to placate the angry ‘lesser mortals’.”
[more comments]
Utter RUBBISH !
Dr Lim Wee Kiak measures a person dignity by his/her net worth !
Utter RUBBISH !
I am shocked ! That such remarks came from our PAP MP.
I wonder how he looked upon his own residents that came forward to seek his help in his constituency!
I won’t be too surprised if he looked at them as “failures” or “worthless” Singaporeans!
This guy does not know what true dignity means.
==========================
And we pay how much for these kind of idiots???
“If the annual salary of the Minister of Information, Communication and Arts is only $500,000, it may pose some problems when he discuss policies with media CEOs who earn millions of dollars because they need not listen to the minister’s ideas and proposals, hence a reasonable payout will help to maintain a bit of dignity.”
What does the govt expect the minister to do? Bribe these people? So if then tomorrow brings another yet-richer CEO, then what? Raise his pay again to match this?
And does the good minister go into negotiations like another company CEO? Of course not! That’s why he is a cabinet minister in the first place! He is part of the GOVERNMENT which makes laws and policies that govern the very company the these so-called rich CEOs work for!
Man, this guy needs a brain scan to see if they find anything in his cranium! That’s a near TPL-ish type stupid comment! Yes and that’s where the likes of TPL will end up 10-15 years from now unless they get voted out fair and square, with no GRCs.
**************************************
Does money equal dignity?
Satay Club (source)
(extract)
Dr Lim’s remarks encapsulate precisely what is wrong with the PAP today. P N Balji, the respected former newspaper editor, said in a recent article on Yahoo! Singapore that the review of ministerial salaries presents the PAP with a “golden opportunity to go back to its roots” and to revisit the “social compact” that the party once had with the people of Singapore. However, Mr Balji said that the PAP lost its way because of its elitist style of governance, eventually replacing the “social compact” with a “commercial contract”.
This was highlighted when former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew referred to himself as a “kept man” because his political career had prevented him from earning more as a lawyer in private practice. Pointing to his wife and brother, with whom he founded the law firm Lee & Lee before becoming Prime Minister, Mr Lee lamented that they earned far more than he did.
By appointing a committee to review the basis and level of political office holders’ salaries, PM Lee took a bold step forward. But, if anything, Dr Lim Wee Kiak’s comments go to show that many within the PAP still see their relationship with the people in terms of a “commercial contract”.
It goes without saying that Dr Lim’s remarks are absurd. In fact, they would be laughable if they weren’t so scary. To pay a minister half a million dollars a year by no means subjecting him to indignity.
------------------
If the Prime Minister is serious about transforming the government, he must first work on transforming the mindsets of his MPs. People who are only concerned about money should remain in the private sector, where they do not run the risk of imparting the wrong values and need not worry about being role models. That is precisely why the salaries of political appointment holders ought to be reduced substantially – because high salaries only serve to attract the wrong kind of people into politics.
“If the annual salary of the Minister of Information, Communication and Arts is only $500,000, it may pose some problems when he discuss policies with media CEOs who earn millions of dollars because they need not listen to the minister’s ideas and proposals, hence a reasonable payout will help to maintain a bit of dignity.”
What does the govt expect the minister to do? Bribe these people? So if then tomorrow brings another yet-richer CEO, then what? Raise his pay again to match this?
And does the good minister go into negotiations like another company CEO? Of course not! That’s why he is a cabinet minister in the first place! He is part of the GOVERNMENT which makes laws and policies that govern the very company the these so-called rich CEOs work for!
Man, this guy needs a brain scan to see if they find anything in his cranium! That’s a near TPL-ish type stupid comment! Yes and that’s where the likes of TPL will end up 10-15 years from now unless they get voted out fair and square, with no GRCs.
**************************************
Does money equal dignity?
Satay Club (source)
(extract)
Dr Lim’s remarks encapsulate precisely what is wrong with the PAP today. P N Balji, the respected former newspaper editor, said in a recent article on Yahoo! Singapore that the review of ministerial salaries presents the PAP with a “golden opportunity to go back to its roots” and to revisit the “social compact” that the party once had with the people of Singapore. However, Mr Balji said that the PAP lost its way because of its elitist style of governance, eventually replacing the “social compact” with a “commercial contract”.
This was highlighted when former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew referred to himself as a “kept man” because his political career had prevented him from earning more as a lawyer in private practice. Pointing to his wife and brother, with whom he founded the law firm Lee & Lee before becoming Prime Minister, Mr Lee lamented that they earned far more than he did.
By appointing a committee to review the basis and level of political office holders’ salaries, PM Lee took a bold step forward. But, if anything, Dr Lim Wee Kiak’s comments go to show that many within the PAP still see their relationship with the people in terms of a “commercial contract”.
It goes without saying that Dr Lim’s remarks are absurd. In fact, they would be laughable if they weren’t so scary. To pay a minister half a million dollars a year by no means subjecting him to indignity.
------------------
If the Prime Minister is serious about transforming the government, he must first work on transforming the mindsets of his MPs. People who are only concerned about money should remain in the private sector, where they do not run the risk of imparting the wrong values and need not worry about being role models. That is precisely why the salaries of political appointment holders ought to be reduced substantially – because high salaries only serve to attract the wrong kind of people into politics.
No comments:
Post a Comment